LESS WIN – Further EP

LESS WIN are a trio hailing all the way from Copenhagen, Denmark. These Danes chuck a humongous hunk of post-punk at us, guitars jaunt and vocals jar. It’s hard hitting, brutal and gaunt. Excellent. Their debut EP titled ‘Further’ is their first UK release and is being presented to us via The Big Oil Recording Company on the 19th of June. Within this EP package are four songs that hold their own and carry enough beef with them to take down any welterweight on offer. It’s an edge of your seat ride that takes you through the back alleys of post-punk, gathering with it the dust, muck and angst that you so desire from this type of music. There’s a big nod to their Copenhagen buddies, Iceage, Lower and Yung so expect your dose of the brutal Norwegian punk climate too. We were lucky enough to get our mitts on a sneak peak of their latest EP ahead of it’s release, here’s our thoughts:

Opening with ‘As Of Today’, an on the dot three minute assault. Guitars and drums swing us in with a petrifying speed, it appears all three members battle against one another, they find their sonic groove and it becomes total warfare. Bursting point always feels impending, teetering on the tightrope of self-combustion, this one goes at you real hell to leather. There are parts that point to the likes of Husker Du, frenzied melodies are pulled out of swamps of distortion, a relief if you find yourself lost, a bonus if you’re kicking and screaming regardless. Next up is ‘Bayonet’, vocally at times this reminisces sounds of The Clash’s Mick Jones. ‘B-A-Y-O-N-E-T’, the infectious chorus, the spelling of bayonet, Casper Morilla’s vocals stab you, personifying the motherfucking bayonet in a Mark E Smith type fashion. No room for slurs here, this is not subdued, hidden or subtracted – but then what did you really expect? Guitars chime at the start, by the end they are slapping you round the chops. ‘I’m The Shore’ gives a lot more leeway and prominence upon Patrick Kociszewski’s bass, playing with fire as it tampers and holds it’s own against pummelling drums, you’re racketed along, bouncing upon the rhythm like a puppet on a string. There is barely much break between, the respite is haunted with Casper’s guitar, infiltrating your break with a looping embrace. Finally the curtains are closed with ‘Listen Louder’ – perhaps an instruction, perhaps a gesture, perhaps advice. Take it whichever way you want. Scuzzy and infringing; a song that regardless is likely to cement this as one of those ‘cult classics’.

It appears anybody who knows anything about music that is in fashion jumps on these Scandinavian bands with forceful aggression, claiming them to be of their own discovery. A hipster’s wet dream you could say. It seems that LESS WIN, with an EP title like ‘Further’ suggests there is more to it than that. Get upon these now, and look bloody snappy about it.